Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Plant Proteins: Tailoring Characteristics, Enhancing Functionality, and Expanding Applications in the Food Industry

Peptides and hydrolysates derived from plant proteins offer promising potential for improving food formulations, but challenges such as bitterness, physicochemical instability, reactivity, hygroscopicity, and low bioavailability have hindered their widespread adoption. This review aims to highlight how enzymatic hydrolysis addresses these challenges by modifying plant protein characteristics and facilitating their integration into various food applications. The enzymatic breakdown of proteins using endo- and exo-proteases improves functionality, texture, and stability, while enhancing the bioavailability of essential amino acids and bioactive peptides. These modifications optimize sensory qualities, nutrition, and shelf life in foods like snacks, meats, sauces, bakery goods, and beverages. However, challenges remain in achieving consistent quality and overcoming the inherent issues related to peptides in food systems. By refining hydrolysis techniques and optimizing formulations, further advancements in plant protein hydrolysates can be achieved, opening up broader possibilities for their use in food production. This review emphasizes the need for ongoing research to address these challenges and ensure the development of stable, bioavailable peptide-enriched food products.